KOLKATA, INDIA...a city with many faces











Kolkata, India projects many faces to the tourist. These include its slums, the colonial parts, the poorly designed and congested parts and then the newer areas with modern city design. The latter include Salt Lake City and the new city in the process of being built. The economic might of India is evident in the newer areas of the City. An overhead metro is nearing completion.The new metro shall complement the existing underground metro. International tourists arriving at the city's dilapidated and dirty airport form a poor first impression of the City. This should be rectified when the new airport is built. This has not happened as of January 2011.

The overall impression after completing one's visit of Kolkata is very favourable. The City has much to offer the tourist as the photographs above and the photographs in my future posts shall testify to. The people of Kolkata are very friendly apart from the taxi drivers who tend to overcharge once it is evident to them that you are a foreigner. The food is excellent. The hotel accommodation ranges across the spectrum of affordable to ultra luxury.

In the photographs above, the ubiquitous Fiat Ambassador, the city's Jain temple complex, the sugar cane juice maker on wheels, the ever present crow, the deity makers, the River Ganges 100km away from its mouth are depicted. I would consider Kolkata as a definite visiting destination on any tourists itinerary. It is steeped in history as the winter capital of India under colonial rule before the capital was moved to New Delhi, it has its human face in its slums and the mass of humanity that reside within these areas, its sheer population size meaning that wherever you go you are surrounded by people and its attempts to explode into the modern era asb large parts of the city and new ares are earmarked for development.

The river Ganges has its well knwon spiritual connotations. Large parts of Kolkata are waterlogged. It is a sight to watch people bathing at almost every pond, river bank and lake in the city. Shall I return? Unlikely as I feel that one visit is enough.         

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